Improvement in harvester-cutters



UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

JOHN M. WEHRLY, AOF SOMERVILLE, NEW JAERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN HARVESTER-CUTTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 57,023, dated August 7, 1866.

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, JOHN M. VVEHRLY, of Somerville, county of Somerset, and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Knives for Mowing Machines; and l do hereby declare the same is fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure 1 represents a set or series of knives in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a view of the same with the mortise or confn ing-plate removed, so as to show the recessed knife-stocks and stationary jaws. Fig. 3 is a rear-edge view of my invention, showing the series of knives held in position by the clamp` ing-plate; Fig. 4, a top view of said clamping-plate; Fig. 5, an edge view of slot-ted knife-frame; and Fig. 6, a plan of one of theV knives, showing the recess for reception of the clamping-plate.. l

The nature of my invention consists in placing a series of separate and distinct knives in a frame and clamping the same therein by means of a mortise or clamping-plate, which holds the entire series firmly in position; and should one of the knives become blunted or broken the same can be removed from the knife-frame and a new knife (or one of a spare set) put in its place, without removing the other knives of the series, by simply removing a pin in the end of the clamping-plate and sliding the said plate out of the knife-recesses, when one or all of the knives can be easily removed and new ones substituted, this performance being but the work of a moment.

Having described the nature of my invention, I will now describe its construction and mode of operation.

In the drawings, A represents the slotted knife-frame, with slots a a', Svc., for reception of the series of separate knives, and jaws b b at its extreme ends for reception of the clamping-plate E. Each of said knives C C is V-shaped at its cutting end in the usual manner, the cutting-edges c c projecting a short distance on either side of its corresponding slot in the knife-frame A, so as to form shoulders for the purpose of holding the knife steadily in position when clamped to the frame A. The said knives at their stock ends project beyond the frame A, and are furnished each with a recess, d', forv reception of the mortise or clamping-plate E.

j The clamping-plate E is a thin bar, with mortises ce and f f corresponding in size to the stock ends of the knives G C and the Y jaws b' b of the frame A. Both knives and jaws project beyond the clampingplate and form hooks for reception of the plate E, as shown in Fig. 2. The plateE has also a hole, h', through one of its end slots, and a corresponding hole, fi', through the jaw b for re ception of a pin, k, which passes through the plate E and the jaw b', and thus the several parts are held firmly together. I

There may be another pin through the clampingp1ate and jawat the opposite end of the frame, if desired.

The operation of connecting the parts together is very simple. The knives C C, I introduce through the slots a a in the frame A and through their corresponding slots in the clamping-plate E. l next slide the said plate into the hooks or recesses d d and jaws b' b', or until the pin-holes i/ and i' are opposite. l then insert the pin 7c', when my improved cutter is ready for operation and should one or more of the knives become blunted or broken it is but the work of a moment to withdraw the pin, slide the clamping-plate back out of the recesses, remove the knife, and insert aspare or new one in its place, thus rendering my invention of great convenience, as Well as time and labor-saving to farmers living remote from blacksmith-shops, besides being a saving of expense, as the breaking of one knife will not destroy the entire set, as has been the oase with knives of different construction heretofore used in mowing-machines.

Itl will, of course, be understood that the parts are composed of steel, iron, or other metal, and that the subject of this specication forms but a portion or counterpart for the complete set of knives for a mowing-machine which are to be actuated by appropriate machinery in the usual manner.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The mortised clamping-plate E, in combination with the notched or hookshank knives C C and slotted knife-frame A, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

ln testimony whereof I have hereunto set my signature.

JOHN M. WEHRLY.

Witnesses H. REIMERs, A. NEILL. 

